I. Field
The following description relates generally to communications systems, and more particularly to increasing channel acquisition capability for a wireless terminal.
II. Background
Wireless networking systems have become a prevalent means to communicate with others worldwide. Wireless communication devices, such as cellular telephones, personal digital assistants, and the like have become smaller and more powerful in order to meet consumer needs and to improve portability and convenience. Consumers have become dependent upon these devices, demanding reliable service, expanded areas of coverage, additional services (e.g., web browsing capabilities), and continued reduction in size and cost of such devices.
A typical wireless communication network (e.g., employing frequency, time, and code division techniques) includes one or more base stations that provides coverage areas to subscribers as well as mobile (e.g., wireless) devices that can transmit and receive data within the coverage areas. A typical base station can simultaneously transmit multiple data streams to multiple devices for broadcast, multicast, and/or unicast services, wherein a data stream is a stream of data that can be of independent reception interest to a user device. A user device within the coverage area of that base station can be interested in receiving one, more than one or all the data streams carried by the composite stream. Likewise, a user device can transmit data to the base station or another user device.
In order to communicate with a base station, a wireless device must first acquire a channel over which the communication link can be established. A wireless device entering a region served by a particular base station may transmit an access request to the base station. In certain systems it is desired that the signals transmitted from all the wireless devices to the base station are received by the base station in a synchronized manner. However, because the wireless device is new to the base station, it is likely that the wireless device is not timing synchronized with the base station. In particular, the access request signal may not be timing synchronized with the base station. An unmet need exists in the art for systems and/or methodologies that facilitate ensuring that the wireless device can achieve timing synchronization with the base station in the access process.